UNODC in Europe, West and Central Asia

Afghanistan shares 5,813 km of borders with six neighbouring countries. As an arid, landlocked country, Afghanistan cannot develop without access to regional and international markets. Afghanistan's strategic and central location makes it the essential fulcrum for seeking closer cooperation and expanding trade throughout the region. The drug trade demonstrates in the negative the potential of the country to serve as a land bridge connecting its surrounding regions. Long-term sustainability within Afghanistan necessitates a constructive dialogue within the wider region.

A regional solution to an Afghan challenge.

Afghanistan currently supplies some 93 per cent of the world's opium. This has negative health, social and security consequences at the regional and world level. The Rainbow Strategy is a regional response to the threat posed by the supply, trafficking and consumption of Afghan opiates. It acknowledges that a national problem demands a regional solution, and therefore engages both Afghanistan and neighbouring countries.

Translating
Paris Pact recommendations related to Afghanistan and neighbouring countries into of seven action outlines, the strategy addresses key issues, allowing for constructive engagement with prime actors in the region, facilitating local ownership, and supplementing interventions from national governments and other Paris Pact partners. The approach is pragmatic and realistic, accepting that a long-term engagement is required in order to build confidence and trust.

For a more detailed view of the Rainbow Strategy, including situation analysis', related mandates, response as well as resource needs, please click
here to access the Rainbow Presentation.
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